White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery

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White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility located along the historic Midland Trail in the Allegheny Highlands of southeast West Virginia. Established in 1900 [1] or 1902 [2] to produce fish for the American public, the fish hatchery became part of the National Broadstock Program in 1976. In 1995, a freshwater mussel conservation program was added. [1]

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The hatchery's mission is to provide recreational fishing, and recovers fish, mussels, and other wildlife. It aims to promote the appreciation of natural resources. [1] It ships millions of rainbow trout eggs to hatcheries across the United States every year. [2] [3] Surplus rainbow trout are released into West Virginia waterways. [4]

In 2016, Greenbrier County, West Virginia was affected by flooding, including the hatchery. 15,000 adult rainbow trout brood stock were lost and it took two years for the facility to recover. [2]

Freshwater Mussel Conservation

Added to the hatchery in 1995, this program works toward the restoration of freshwater mussel populations. [5] In 2013, White Sulphur Springs – along with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Freshwater Mussel Conservation and Research Center, and the Center for Mollusk Conservation in Frankfort, Kentucky – began work to restore the endangered purple cat’s paw pearlymussel, which previously inhabited the Ohio River and many of the larger tributaries. The mussel's populations steeply declined due to the damning of the Ohio River, dredging, the dumping of industrial waste, and competition from the invasive zebra mussel. The cat's paw was identified as an endangered species in July, 1990. [6]

Freshwater Folk Festival

The Freshwater Folk Festival is hosted by the Friends of the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in the Fall every year. [7] The event was first held on October 2, 2004.[ citation needed ] It's designed to be a family-friendly day of music, food, crafts, and educational opportunities. [8]

Annual Fishing Derby

The White Sulphur Springs Annual Fishing Derby is held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, meant to provide families with the opportunity to spend the day fishing for rainbow trout. [9] The Annual Fishing Derby has been celebrated for over 20 years; it is co-hosted by the White Sulphur Springs Rotary Club. [10]

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The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people."

The National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS) was established by the U.S. Congress in 1871 through the creation of a U.S. Commissioner for Fish and Fisheries. This system of fish hatcheries is now administered by the Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), an agency within the United States Department of the Interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow trout</span> Fresh-water species of fish

The rainbow trout is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coastal rainbow trout(O. m. irideus) or Columbia River redband trout (O. m. gairdneri) that usually returns to freshwater to spawn after living two to three years in the ocean. Freshwater forms that have been introduced into the Great Lakes and migrate into tributaries to spawn are also called steelhead.

Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) or Columbia River redband trout. Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and North America. Like other sea-run (anadromous) trout and salmon, steelhead spawn in freshwater, smolts migrate to the ocean to forage for several years and adults return to their natal streams to spawn. Steelhead are iteroparous, although survival is approximately 10–20%.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutthroat trout</span> Species of fish

The cutthroat trout(Oncorhynchus clarkii) is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus Oncorhynchus, it is one of the Pacific trout, a group that includes the widely distributed rainbow trout. Cutthroat trout are popular gamefish, especially among anglers who enjoy fly fishing. The common name "cutthroat" refers to the distinctive red coloration on the underside of the lower jaw. The specific name clarkii was given to honor explorer William Clark, coleader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of West Virginia</span>

The life zones of West Virginia allow for a diversity of habitats for fauna, varying from large lowland farming valleys bordered with forest and meadow to highland ridge flats and heavy forestland, some with rocky ridge-line peaks. The "Mountain State" harbors at least 56 species and subspecies of mammals. The state has more than 300 types of birds and more than 100 species of fish.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Fish Hatchery Historic District</span> Historic district in Wyoming, United States

The Lake Fish Hatchery Historic District comprises nine buildings built between 1930 and 1932 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the National Park Service Rustic style. The buildings exhibit a consistency of style and construction, with exposed gable trusses and oversized paired logs at the corners, all with brown paint. The district is located on the shore of Yellowstone lake near the Lake Hotel The hatchery was established to provide Yellowstone cutthroat trout eggs for state and federal hatcheries outside Yellowstone.

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Epioblasma obliquata, commonly called the catspaw, is a species of freshwater mussel. It is native to eastern North America, where it is classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. There are two subspecies, each with distinct morphology. Due to species rarity, the behavior of this organism is unknown beyond general freshwater mussel behavior.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery". www.fws.gov/. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2023-10-26.
  2. 1 2 3 Alvey, Tina (30 September 2018). "Fish hatchery recovers from flood - WITH VIDEO". The Register-Herald . West Virginia. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "National Broodstock Program's Egg Distribution Service | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  4. ↑ McCoy, John (25 February 2018). "Trout hatchery builds toward full production". AP Charleston Gazette-Mail . West Virginia. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  6. ↑ Steelhammer, Rick (7 October 2017). "Mussel, once feared extinct, brought back to Ohio River". The Seattle Times . Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Freshwater Folk Festival (2023-09-09 10:00:00)". Visit Southern West Virginia. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  8. ↑ "Freshwater Folk Festival returns next month". Mountain Messenger. West Virginia. 11 August 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "White Sulphur Springs Rotary Kids Fishing Derby | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  10. ↑ "White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery | Visit Us | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-08.

37°48′00″N80°17′41″W / 37.80009°N 80.29462°W / 37.80009; -80.29462

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